Wishing and Dreaming
by BuzzCat
Summary: After Donna's memories are wiped, she still finds a way to speak to the Doctor. But the Doctor, who has lived and loved too much, just keeps wishing and dreaming.


The Doctor walked through the glade, the grass soft and silent beneath his bare feet. He had no memory of arriving in this place—no memory of ever being here before, actually—which probably meant it wasn't real. The Doctor decided he might as well enjoy the tranquil place, since this was a dream and he hadn't had a dream in an awfully long time. Besides, the scenery was beautiful. It was Earth, of course. The trees were old, old and tall and blotting out all sunshine except in one place, a clearing at the end of an unmarked path that became obvious to him once he saw his destination. The Doctor walked toward the clearing, a light breeze wafting through the area. The trees were beginning to turn color. Already a number were sporting browns and tans and ochers, like a fire spreading through the treetops.

Once the Doctor arrived in the clearing, he saw a checked picnic blanket spread out with a familiar woman lounging on it, smiling. The Doctor grinned back,

"Donna."

"Hello, space man," she said, "join me?" She patted the blanket beside her. The sunlight glinted in her hair, making it glow like a halo. The Doctor sat down beside her then leaned in until his head rested on her shoulder. Donna's hand came up to slowly card through his hair. They sat in silence a moment before the Doctor stated,

"This is a dream."

"Yes. Of a sort." said Donna without hesitation.

"It's a good one. I didn't know I could dream anymore."

"You can't. This is the last imprint of my consciousness that the TARDIS managed to save. She's broadcasting me into your mind."

"That's kind of her."

"Yes it is." said Donna. The Doctor sat there and Donna tilted her head to rest on top of his. The Doctor thought. This broadcast version of his friend was close, so close to being real. But not quite. For one thing, there was actual silence between the two.

"Are you missing part of your programming?"

"What?"

"You're not acting like Donna."

"I'm the saved impression of the most important woman in the universe. The TARDIS can't get everything right." said faux-Donna, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"I know. Sorry." They sat there, watching the leaves slowly wither and begin to fall. The Doctor's brow furrowed and he asked,

"What is this place?"

"It's a place I used to dream about. I still do."

"Even now?"

"Especially now." said faux-Donna with a soft smile. The Doctor looked up at her, making eye contact for the first time in their conversation. Donna's eyes were wrong, missing a certain vivacity he had loved at her.

"Do you know what the real Donna dreams about?"

"Just a mo'…" Faux-Donna seemed to become lost in her own thoughts before smiling down at the Doctor with her dulled eyes, "She's dreaming about you. Here, would you like to see?"

"Yes." said the Doctor excitedly. More of the leaves had fallen as faux-Donna pressed her fingertips to his temples.

The Doctor was transported to a clearing exactly the same as the one he'd just been in, only this one was slightly hazy as most things in dreams are. Sure enough, a different Doctor and Donna sat on a picnic blanket, this time her head resting on his shoulder, looking off somewhere behind the visiting Doctor. He turned and saw three children, two older ones playing tag and a younger one digging in the dirt. They all had red hair and the boy playing tag took off after his sister shouting "Allons-y!"

"Don't trip and hurt yourselves!" called Donna and her Doctor smiled at her,

"They're fine, love. Don't worry." He kissed her temple and Donna smiled,

"I know, but they're your children too. That alone should give me reason to worry." Donna's gaze strayed from her children—their children—and the visiting Doctor swore she looked straight at him. Then the world hazed its way out of existence and the Doctor found himself looking at darkness. He opened his eyes to find himself in the first forest, this time surround by dead leafless trees and a smiling fake Donna. He was both surprised and not to find tears in his eyes.

"Is—is she happy? In her life?"

Faux-Donna nodded, "As happy as she can be."

The Doctor looked around, finally noticing the change in season as the first hint of frost spread over the grass. Faux-Donna watched him take in the changes in his surroundings, "I can only appear this once. My time is almost done; the impression was only meant to be temporary. I'm sorry. I wish it was different."

"I understand." said the Doctor, reluctantly standing up. He felt more than heard the creaking in his bones. This regeneration was getting old. He'd seen so much, lived so much. Loved so much. He turned to faux-Donna, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, "I love her."

"I know. And so does she."

The Doctor awoke on his padded 'couch', having fallen asleep in front of the console. He did not cry, because there were no tears left to cry, no action that could bring Donna back to him. But as he pulled levers and listened to the grating sound of brakes and not the ranting of a certain ginger, the Doctor couldn't help his wishing.


End file.
